The signs of ageing are often caused by invisible changes beneath the skin’s surface. Anti-wrinkle injections can reduce fine lines and deep furrows in the upper facial area by relaxing the muscles underneath, while dermal fillers can restore lost volume. The aim is to create a relaxed look - not frozen or puffy! SKIN Lines appear on the forehead, between the brows and around the eyes, causing frown lines and crows feet - and a sagging appearance that can give a tired, worn look. Prolonged sun exposure causes pigmented age spots to appear, while skin around the eyes can become darker in colour and start to ‘hollow’. Wrinkle injections, dermal fillers, laser therapy and the right combination of active skincare ingredients can address these concerns. MUSCLE Repeated muscle action from expressions like smiling or being angry causes wrinkles to appear around the forehead between the brows and around the eyes. These wrinkles can then deepen and become more permanent - they are called ‘static’ lines, and can be softened through the use of cosmetic wrinkle injections. Likewise, as we age, we loose muscle tone in our face, which changes the shape and firmness; this can be replaced by dermal filler. FAT PADS The smooth, full curves that give our face a healthy, vital appearance are largely due to fat pads under our skin, which shrink and move south as we age. Diminishing fat pads cause a reduction in facial volume and the hydrated appearance of our skin. As a result, it also creates hollowing around the forehead, eyes and temples, giving a ‘sunken’ look. Dermal fillers restore lost fat,...

New research from the Australasian College of Dermatologists suggests that cosmeceuticals - or functional coloured cosmetics - such as foundation, eyeshadow and lipstick are the second most important anti ageing products to use after sunscreen. ACD dermatologist Dr Phillip Artemi said some makeup products offer benefits that are more than just aesthetic – reducing the incidence of skin cancer, especially around the eye. “We now know that it isn’t just solar radiation such as UVB and UVA that is bad for the skin,” he said at the ACD’s Annual Scientific Meeting this month. “The sun also emits infrared radiation and visible light, which can lead to damage resulting in dull skin, wrinkles and unsightly pigmentation. “Pollution, too, has been shown to cause wrinkles and skin ageing and, with increased urbanisation, traffic pollution is set to become a major skin toxin.” Due to properties such as SPF ingredients, pigments and reflectors of solar radiation, functional coloured cosmetics can offer protection against the ageing - and cancer causing - impact of sun exposure. But Dr Artemi said lipgloss provided little protection, suggesting that coloured, long lasting lipsticks afforded better protection. He said that while sunscreens go a long way to helping prevent sun damage, “we now advise that functional coloured cosmetics should be added to the long-standing advice in order to further reduce the risk of skin cancer and premature ageing as well as protecting against the increasing danger of air pollution”. PRAHS Cosmetic and Rejuvenation Clinics dermal clinician Deborah Seib-Daniell recommends a daily routine of cleansing, then applying an antioxidant-rich serum, moisturiser and SPF 50 sunscreen – after which functional cosmetics such as foundations,...

Neuroscientist Sara Lazar from Harvard Medical School has published research that flouts the commonly held belief that the human brain shrinks with age. Her research shows that when people meditate frequently, the area of the brain responsible for executive decision making and memory does not change over the decades. The study concluded that 27 minutes of meditation each day for eight weeks can create positive, measurable changes in the brain. The link between high stress levels and physical signs of ageing has long been accepted by science, with patients who have higher stress levels also finding it more difficult to recover from surgery, experiencing delayed healing and poorer immune defences to infection. From yoga through to tai chi and other more unstructured forms of relaxation techniques, there are numerous benefits of meditation, including better decision making, lower blood pressure and improved mental health. Best of all, it doesn’t require expensive gym memberships or equipment - and can be done literally anywhere. And it’s never too late. Dr Lazar’s research showed that when non-meditators began mediating daily, their grey matter actually grew. That’s as good a reason as any to tap into your inner yogi. Watch Dr Lazar’s TEDx presentation about meditation and stress here:...

Back in the 1990’s eyebrows were whisper thin arches, resembling barely a relic of what nature endowed. And for many of us, all those years of plucking resulted in a permanent brow hair deficit. So when the noughties swung around and facial aesthetic trends turned towards bushy thick brows, most of us were left feeling rather follically challenged. That’s when the popularity of cosmetic tattooing began to emerge, with women turning to ink to restore what genetics, tweezers or waxing had taken away. In recent years, the art of feather touch brow tattooing has soared, whereby a natural-looking brow is formed at the hands of an experienced tattooist by recreating the look of well-placed hairs, strand by strand. Our skin clinician Deborah Seib-Daniell has been coiffuring brows for 15 years and said “the pendulum has thankfully now swung towards a more moderate groomed look that is both natural and defined”. Deborah said eyebrows are one of the “hardest working” elements of facial aesthetics, framing the face and creating ratio. “The aesthetic importance of the eyebrow cannot be understated, it’s a key defining factor in facial aesthetics and beauty.” Deborah said over elevation of the brow creates an unnatural, surprised look, while a low-placed brow with a high lateral peak creates an angry look. It is impossible to define an ideal eyebrow that is suitable for every face, ethnicity, age and gender. But the ideal eyebrow aesthetic typically involves the inside of the brow beginning in line with the edge of the nostril, and ending at an oblique line drawn from the outside of the nostril through the outside corner...

MEET DR DAVID SHARP

David is a Queensland trained Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon. He obtained Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons after undertaking eight years of specialist training in General Surgery and Plastic Surgery. He is a member of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons.